Modern infant strollers typically include a frame, an infant support or seat, and four sets of wheels. Typically, the rear sets of wheels are fixed in orientation, while the front sets of wheels serve as castors to be able to pivot in any direction. While pivotable wheels are desirable for maneuvering the stroller, they are inherently less stable directionally than fixed wheels. Nevertheless, any instability which may be caused by the pivotable wheels is compensated and adjusted for by the operator via relative movement of the operator's two hands in the normal two-handed push operation. Occasionally, the operator is confronted with a situation where it is desirable to be able to operate the stroller with a single hand.
Single-handed operation of strollers is difficult at best with current stroller designs. Stroller handles are typically horizontal (or nearly horizontal) bars which may be grasped by both hands of the operator. To push such a stroller with a single hand would include placing the hand at the central portion of the horizontal bar. Unfortunately, grasping a horizontal bar with a single hand and attempting to impart forward motion to the stroller while also controlling side-to-side movement is not inherently easy. This is partially because grasping the central portion of a horizontal bar on the stroller in front of the operator is not ergonomically comfortable. Some other stroller designs include a pair of single-handed grip handles at the two extreme positions on the horizontal bar. This approach does not easily provide for single-handed operation either, since grasping either of the two handles at the extreme positions does not place the hand in a central position which is necessary to easily push and control the stroller.
Another characteristic of stroller use is that, on extended trips with the stroller, the operator may have various sundry items to be carried, e.g., a purse, a beverage, shopping purchases, or supplies for the infant such as diapers and bottles. Typically, these items must be carried by the operator, slung over the operator's shoulders in some manner, or placed in the infant seat with the infant. Some modern strollers provide a storage basket under the seat for storage of such items. While such a storage basket is clearly an improvement over the absence of one, the location can be inconvenient if it is necessary to frequently place items into and remove them from the basket. Also, such a storage basket may not hold beverages and baby bottles in the desired upright position.
In addition, it is always desirable to maximize the protection provided for the infant. Most stroller designs include a canopy attached to the frame to at least partially protect the infant from adverse elements such as sun, wind, rain, etc. Typically, such canopies are supported by a canopy frame. Unfortunately, such adverse elements do not always approach the infant from directly thereabove. In order to further increase the protection provided by the canopy, some designs include fabric panels which depend downwardly from the canopy. Such fabric panels may limit the vision of the infant when the panels are not desired. Further, the panels may be rendered ineffective by wind, etc.
It is against this background and the desire to solve the problems of the prior art that the present invention has been developed.